Registration Information & Guidelines for Dealers

Requirements For Registration As A Real Estate Dealer

The Real Estate (Dealers and Developers) Act defines a dealer as a person who, on his own account, engages in the practice of real estate business; and an individual who is a member of a partnership; or a director or officer of a corporate body, which itself engages, on its own account, in the practice of real estate business. 

NB. On submission of application, if the application is deemed complete, the applicant will be asked to sit for a Interview with an REB Inspector.

General Registration Requirements (New and Overseas Licensed Dealers)

Please complete/submit in person the following to the Real Estate Board (REB):

• Application form
• Application Fee of J$22,000.00 (Increase Fee effective April 01, 2019). Payment Options.
• Submit 3 letters of reference from any of the following:
  • Justice of the Peace (JP) *
  • Collector of Taxes *
  • Minister of Religion
  • Medical Practitioner
  • Senior Teacher or Principal
  • Civil Servant
  • Senior Police Officer (rank above Sergeant)
  • Bank Manager
  • Active Real Estate Dealer

  NB. The JP that validates your address cannot simultaneously serve as your referee.

• Copy of TRN
• Police Report

  Note: If applicant is a body corporate, police reports must be provided for each director and secretary.

  How to Obtain a Police Record?

• Bankruptcy Clearance Report receipt (report will be sent directly to REB)
  Institution: The Supervisor of Insolvency and Government Trustee
  Location:   52-60 Grenada Crescent, Kingston 5
  Fee:           J$3000
  

  
  Note: If applicant is a body corporate, fees must be paid for each director and secretary.

• Certified copies of Certificate of Incorporation and Articles of Incorporation (for companies only)
• 2 passport size photographs certified by an Attorney-at-law, Pastor or Justice of the Peace (for individuals only);
• Proof of address (Utility Bills or letter from a JP confirming address)

NB: To be considered for Dealer registration, the individual (or qualifying director) must first complete a period of attachment of at least one year in the office of a Board approved dealer.

Professional Qualification (one of the following):

• Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (RICS) certification in General Practice, Land Agency and Agriculture or Planning and Development.
• Degree/Diploma in Land Economy and Valuation Surveying from the UTECH
• Degree/Diploma in Estate Management, Land Economy or Land Management
• Certificate in the Pre-licensing Dealers' Course at the Real Estate Training Institute.

Requirements for Registration (for person holding Overseas License)

Registration Process:

Please complete/submit the following to the Real Estate Board (REB):

• Practice for at least one (1) year.
• Certified copy of a current practicing brokers' licence (acceptable to the Board)
• Proof of practice in real estate business within the last year (from application date). Applicants unable to provide same must seek an attachment with a local Dealer before continuing the process.
• Aspects of Jamaican Land Law certification from the Real Estate Training Institute
• Evidence of participation in 20 hours of the 108 hour Pre-licensing Salesman's Course at the Real Estate Training Institute
• Work Permit for non-Jamaicans and non-Caricom nationals through the Ministry of Labour and Social Security.

More information on work permits

Registration Requirements:

• Application Fee of J$27,000.00
• Please note that applicants currently residing overseas or who have been residing overseas for six (6) months prior to application, are required to submit Bankruptcy and Police Clearances from that country as well as in Jamaica.  Please see links above pertaining to obtaining a police report and bankruptcy clearance report.

How to Obtain a Police Record?

• The previous registration requirements as a dealer are applicable

Additional Information:
A Licence fee of forty-four thousand dollars ($44,000.00) is required if application is approved

The 20 hours of the 108 hour Pre-licensing Salesman's Course to be done are as follows:

Real Estate Act: 5 hours
Proceeds of Crime Act (POCA): 5 hours
Code of Ethics: 4 hours
Aspects of Jamaican Land Law: 3 hours
Map Interpretation: 3 hours

Guidelines for Dealers

• There can be more than one Qualifying Director for a Body Corporate, but the licence fee paid by the company will cover only one qualifying director.  All other dealers and salesmen must be individually licenced.  See Section 13 (1).

• Where a Dealer practices under a trading name, proof that the registration of the current trading name must be provided annually upon renewal of the licence. (Evidence of payment at the Companies Office is applicable).

• Each dealer should provide a list of salesmen to the Board annually. A statutory declaration should be provided where there are no salesmen.

• Please provide a copy of the dealer’s latest audited clients’ account and confirmation that the client’s account is being operated in accordance with the Real Estate (Dealers and Developers) Act. If the dealer does not accept clients’ deposits, then he/it may advise the Board of the same.

• After ninety (90) days of non-payment of licence fees, all dealers will be automatically regarded as being inactive.  In order to resume practice of the business of real estate, Radyo Dinle the dormancy fee plus penalty on the licence fee will be due.  All dormant practitioners will be published on the Board’s website.  All salesmen attached to these dealers will not be licenced.

• In the event that the balance of the licence fee is not paid by September 30th, the licence previously issued will automatically become void on October 1st.

• All salesmen employed to a dealer must hold current licences.

• Salesmen who have obtained the qualification as dealers may exercise the option to remain registered as salesmen.  However, once registered as a dealer, the licence fee applicable to dealers must be paid.

• The Board of Directors has decided that as a Condition of Licencing for the 2015-2016 period Dealers/Salesmen should complete a required number of hours of Continuing Professional Development (CPD).  This will be applicable to persons licenced prior to 2011.  Persons licenced 2012 and after must complete CPD courses every two (2) years. (Please note this was introduced to the practitioners in the financial period of 2014-2015. You will be kept up to date as to the venue, date and time via the Board’s website, the Commission’s website, electronically and in the print media.)

• Dealer’s registered address and licence number must be included in all advertisements.